1. Revolution & Civil War in Russia Questions What and when was the March Revolution? Uprising in March 1917 In the midst of WW I (which was going terribly for Russia) Russian Czar abdicates – March 15 th, 1917 A Provisional Government is set up As Russia stumbled into revolution, Germany saw a chance to weaken its enemy by helping Lenin (who was exiled in Switzerland) return home to Russia. Lenin rushed across Germany in a special train. Upon arriving home on April 16, 1917, he said, “Long live the worldwide Socialist Revolution.”

2. Who was Vladimir Lenin? Born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov in 1870 Joined the revolutionary cause after his brother was executed in 1887 for plotting to assassinate Czar Alexander II Studied law and practiced in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) Heavily influenced by Karl Marx, in 1895, helped organize Marxist groups in the capital into the “Union for the Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class”

3. Who was Vladimir Lenin? (con’t.) Arrested in December 1895 and jailed for a year and then exiled to Siberia for a term of three years! Went to Western Europe after his exile ended but continued his revolutionary work. Takes the name Lenin Writes a pamphlet in 1902 entitled, What Is To Be Done? in which he argued that only a disciplined party of professional revolutionaries could bring socialism to Russia

4. More on Lenin Meets with other Russian Marxists in London and establishes the Russian Social- Democratic Workers’ Party Split instantly occurs between Lenin’s Bolsheviks (Majoritarians) who advocated militarism and Mensheviks(Minoritarians), who advocated a democratic movement toward socialism resulting in Lenin officialing leaving the party in 1912.

5. Lenin and the Revolution of 1905 After the outbreak of the Russian Revolution of 1905, Lenin returned to Russia. The Revolution, which consisted mainly of strikes throughout the Russian Empire, came to an end when Nicholas II promised reforms, including the adoption of a Russian constitution and the establishment of an elected legislature. However, once order was restored, the czar nullified most of these reforms, and in 1907, Lenin was again forced into exile.

6. Lenin and WW I Lenin opposed WW I as an imperialist conflict and called upon proletariat soldiers to turn their guns on the capitalist leaders who sent them into battle. March 1917: riots and strikes break out in Petrograd due to the scarcity of food. Demoralized army troops join the effort. March 15, 1917 Nicholas II abdicates

7. The Lenin – Germany Connection German authorities assist Lenin and his lieutenants’ return to Russia, hoping that their presence would further undermine the Russian war effort which it did. (The provisional gov’t remained committed to the war.) Lenin called for the overthrow of the provisional government. Russian leaders called him a “German agent” and in July he was forced to flee to Finland. However, his call for “Peace, Land, and Bread” was winning increasing support.

8. The plot thickens Bolsheviks won a majority in the Petrograd soviet. In October 1917, Lenin secretly returns to Petrograd. On November 7, the Bolshevik Red Guards deposed the Provisional Government and proclaimed soviet rule.

9. What was the Bolshevik Revolution? November 1917 Red Guards: armed factory workers attacked the provisional government. In a matter of days, Lenin’s forces overthrew the provisional government. Red Guards take over Moscow and make it their capital. A new flag with an entwined hammer and sickle symbolized the union between workers and peasants. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin quickly sought peace with Germany. **A 3 YR. CIVIL WAR FOLLOWS. “Reds” win in 1920.

10. Explain the governmental changes Lenin implemented? Lenin becomes the virtual dictator of the world’s first Marxist state. Made peace with Germany. Nationalized industry. Distributed land. Fought a civil war against czarist forces and won in 1920. Established the USSR in 1922 (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

11. Lenin dies and a new phase begins… 1924 Petrograd was renamed Leningrad in his honor Struggle for succession ensues with Joseph Stalin succeeding Lenin.